


untitled HCL snippet

by ifreet



Category: Hard Core Logo (1996)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-25
Updated: 2007-06-25
Packaged: 2017-10-10 10:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifreet/pseuds/ifreet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Los Angeles wasn't personal.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	untitled HCL snippet

**Author's Note:**

> Comment fic to eledhwenlin's prompt "first hit"

Los Angeles wasn't personal.

Billy Tallent stood out on the balcony, staring out at the city as he smoked. The city glowed with artificial lights as far as he could see - equally bright upon the stars, the up-and-comings, the has-beens, the never-wills...

Behind him, the gold record party was in full swing. The guests were offering up their congratulations, some with the smugness of those who'd had a hand in making it happen. The people in there understood that music was work. Record deals, hit singles, and gold-selling albums didn't just fall in your lap out of the sky. You had to go after them. And maybe if you worked hard, you'd succeed. And if you succeeded, you threw a party.

Billy had worked hard. He had worked fucking hard, not that he would put it like that - not in LA. He wasn't important enough to risk offending the wrong people by accident. Not yet. He'd taken the gigs that paid the rent, and he'd taken the ones that didn't but would put him in touch with the people who mattered, and he'd played his fingers to the bone. Talent was easy, everywhere; getting it noticed was the trick. You couldn't act like you were above the goddamn game and expect -

He stubbed out his cigarette and rolled sudden tension out of his neck. Pulling on his jacket, he slipped back inside and behind the temporary bar provided by the catering company.

"Thanks, I owe ya," he muttered, as he and Jim changed places.

"No problem." Jim flashed his head shot smile. "You just invite me to your party, when you hit it big."

"Absolutely." He noticed Jim rolling his eyes as he turned away, because he had, of course, meant it as a joke, the gallows humor all LA's wannabe musicians, models, and actors indulged in.

But Billy wasn't joking, because Billy was going to make it.

Los Angeles wasn't personal, so he couldn't fuck it up.


End file.
